Outsider Stories: By Blade and Biotics
by HunterOrion15
Summary: I was admittedly not expecting much to happen when I found my parent's killer. I certainly didn't expect to die and meet my guardian angel. Now thanks to said angel, I'm in a world of futuristic everything and genocidal AI. Oh joy. Rated M for Language, Violence, Mentions of questionable subjects, and the other bullshit in Mass Effect.
1. Origins

Chapter 1: Origins

 _AN: So... hi! For my old readers, welcome back! To my new readers, welcome! Here's the introduction to the... quiet possibly psychotic_ _protagonist. If you're interested in where this is leading, please check out my profile, where it explains everything. All in all: Enjoy!_

I am currently falling to my death. Hell of a way to start off a story huh? The name's Ethan Morgan, and I should probably explain what exactly is happening here, right? Well, let's get one thing straight here: I'm not going to explain my life story to you okay? Here's the short story: rich parents who actually cared for me got sent six feet under by a random assassin, which in turn got me on a good old fashioned revenge quest. Cliche? Probably. Was it shitty? Definitely. Did it make me a badass? Oh fuck the hell yes it did. Anyway, after finally tracking the assassin down well… you'll see.

* * *

Ten years. That's how long I trained. It was a painful decade, but it was worth it. I can kill a man in so many ways with my bare hands now, just like the one I'm killing right now. I mean, killings not the only thing I learned, but it's coming in handy right now. Where was I again? Oh yeah, killing this guy. I finished applying pressure, snapping the guys neck like a twig.

Now you may be wondering what the poor bastard did to deserve that. Well simply put: he's a guard who discovered I was here, and I couldn't leave witnesses now could I? As to what was he guarding? The _extremely_ pricey apartment of a very elusive person I've been looking for the past six months.

I slowly made my way into said apartment, after making sure that there was nobody else was in my way. Huh, this was going well. As long as I don't fuck up I should be fine… I just jinxed myself didn't I? I moved through the door, and it was smooth sailing. That is until I stepped on a pressure pad. Ah shit. Who the hell has pressure plate in this day and age?

Anyways, a rope shot out, wrapping around my leg. "Oh shit!" I exclaimed out as I shot up. Okay, not good. I looked around to check out the apartment. Hey, nice place. Shame it was going to be wrecked when I was done. I pulled out my trusty K-Bar knife, reaching for the rope. Thankfully I was able to reach it, and I started to slice away. Alright almost got it… wait how high up am I again? I got my answer when the rope broke.

I let out a small yelp as I fell down. Thankfully I was only about eight feet up, but it still hurt. Actually come to think of it… let's see here. I shuffled a bit… yep landed wrong. I got up, trying not to move my already dislocated right shoulder. Okay, I have to set this before anything else. I moved to the wall in front of me. Okay here we go.

OH SHIT! YEP THAT HURT OKAY! I moved my arm experimentally, and thankfully it worked. Ok now to find Winters. That's when I felt a knife at my throat. Found him. "Who the hell are you?" A voice that I hadn't heard for the better part of decade growled out. Oh boy, here we go.

I couldn't resist. "Who? Who is but the form following the function of what and what I am is a man in a mask." I quoted, smirking under my balaclava. V for Vendetta for the win baby! The knife came a little closer and… yep drew a little blood there. "Real funny wise guy. Tell me who you are right now, or this gets messy." Winters growled again.

While this was going on, I reached for the M1911 in my shoulder holster. Just had to keep him talking. "Okay fair enough. Just out of curiosity do you even remember any of the people you killed? The people you've separated?" I asked. The gun was in my hand.

I could hear the scoff. "Of course I don't. Feelings get you killed in this business. You must be one of my many targets family members. Let me guess, parents right? What you miss mommy and daddy?" He sneered at me. That's what I needed. I aimed at my left shoulder and braced myself.

OW SON OF A BITCH! I could hear Winters flying back, and I made my move. I twisted around, aiming at the injured man. He was fast, but I was faster. I shot three times, each bullet making an impact. Winters fell on his back, and tried to crawl away. He made it next to his window, but I moved towards him, gun in hand.

I tore off the mask, and Winters turned around. "I've been waiting for this day for 10 long years." I growled at him. His eyes widened. "The Morgan kid? Fuck, I knew I should have wasted you." He stated. Then he smirked. "You made one mistake though kid." He said to me. Wait what?

"And what was that?" I mockingly asked. That's when I saw the gun. Fuck. "You forgot to search the place." He sneered, then fired. We both shot, and I could see his brains splatter the wall behind him. Of course there was no way I could dodge the gunfire. What I didn't anticipate was that it was buckshot.

I was sent flying out the window, and out of the 75th floor. I could see the lights of the city as I fell, and it was gorgeous. This is where our story starts. All in all, this was fine. Here I come Mom and Dad. I closed my eyes, and darkness overtook me.

 _AN: And this is where we leave off. The next chapter will be... well you'll see. If you have any questions, please message me or leave reviews. Other than that, Read, Review, and Enjoy! See you guys later!_


	2. Purgatory, Sort Of

Chapter 2: Purgatory... Sort Of

 _AN: And so here we are on the second chapter! Last time, our semi insane protagonist went six feet under literally... I think. Anyway, here we are with the consequences of his actions, at least some of them anyways. Oh and to the guest who commented that I copied Batman's origins, you my friend are completely right. Hell, badass orphan is just to easy to start something off. Anyways, onto the story!_

I groaned, trying not to move. Wait a minute… I wasn't hurt! I mean I was still aching, but based on my quick check up I didn't have any holes in me whatsoever. Sweet. I opened my eyes, trying to figure out where I was. Hey nice place.

I was in some sort of office, with a little shelf full of something, and a nice desk in the middle. There was two chairs, one in front and behind the previously mentioned desk. I took a seat in front of the desk, waiting for… whoever the hell was in charge.

A door opened, and in walked an… odd man to say the least. He was in his mid 20's, with silver hair and his eyes were… glowing. He didn't have anything but white, and Christ it was fucking weird. He looked shocked when he saw me. "What the hell? Ethan!? You weren't supposed to die for another fifty years!" He blurted out.

Wait what? "What the hell are you talking about? Who the hell are you?" I asked quickly. I needed answers now. The man went to his desk, pulling out a bunch of files, with the main one having… my name on it. Oh boy here we go.

He was scanning the files. "Okay, you wanted answers right? First and foremost, I'm Orion. I'm your guardian angel. You died so… welcome to Purgatory." He said, his arms outstretched. Guardian angel? Oh god why me?

"Guardian angel? Man you suck at your job. I mean, look at me. Great job there buddy." I scowled at him. Orion had the decency to look a bit ashamed.

"Ha!… I can actually explain that. I wasn't assigned to you until you reached 17. The previous angle kinda screwed up there, so I've been running damage control afterwards. How else can you explain all the good that happened, your death notwithstanding?" He retorted, rubbing his head sheepishly. Okay fair enough.

I sighed, trying to get my bearings straight. "So what now dead man? You sending me to heaven or hell?" I questioned, hoping for a straight answer. Orion finished reading the files and sat back tiredly. "Honestly, you haven't even done much in your life besides killing a dangerous assassin. Not to mention you are the FOURTH person under my care to bite it, so I'm not even going to try here. Hold out your hand please." He told me.

I held out my right hand, where the hell was he going with this? I got my answer. OW SO OF A BITCH! I almost pulled back when a giant fucking needle stabbed my hand. A screen lit up in front of me.

"Fancy tech for Purgatory. Where do you guys get the tech?" I asked, trying to pass the time. Orion chuckled. "Actually, I have no idea at all. What I'm doing right now is scanning your genetic code. Considering you died to early, I'm planning on sending you somewhere else. Not to mention the fact that your current body actually got destroyed, so… yeah. Anyway, the way you are makes it so that I can drop you anywhere, so this machine is a sort of randomizer. Speaking of which, here's the choices." He answered, gesturing to the screen in front of me.

Let's see, oh pictures nice! Childish? Probably, but still. Let's see what we have here. Oh god I regret this already. You may be wondering why. Right now I'm seeing pictures of a man trying to avenge an empress (Dishonored), growing tensions between humans and augmenteds (Deus Ex), and… oh fuck yes. I pointed to the last picture.

Orion raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that? You literally chose the worst one of the group." He coughed, hoping I was joking. I just nodded my head eagerly. Orion sighed. " Alright then. Good luck. Try not to die again alright buddy?" He finally said, giving me a card as he did. I was about to answer when my vision went dark. Oh this was going to happen a lot wasn't it? Ah who cares? Mass Effect here I come! Wait, I forgot something. Did I chose the trilogy or Andromeda? Cause I haven't played the latter one. Aw shit.

 _AN:So yeah, I just love messing with this poor bastard. And like he said, Mass Effect here we come! Like it? Hate it? Please leave your reviews because that's what keeps me going. Until next time read, review, and enjoy!_


	3. The Citadel (Thank God)

Chapter 3: The Citadel (Thank God)

 _AN: Hey guys, welcome back! So our dear protagonist hit a stroke of luck here. The chapter says it all. Enjoy!_

I woke up with a groan… again. Man this was starting to get old. Oh shit where am I? I shot up, only to see… whoa. I was looking at the Citadel, more specifically a rather fancy apartment. First and foremost, thank god. I was on the Citadel, so that might meant I was in the Trilogy. That takes care of one problem. Wait! I don't have an identity here… shit.

That's when I saw a flash of light. A paper floated down, and I snatched it out of the air, immediately reading it. 'Hey bud, Orion here. A few things I forgot to mention. One: You don't have to worry about setting up an identity, I sorted that out. Right now, you're still Ethan Morgan, but you were born on June 13th 2152, and on a remote colony. Unfortunately, your parents were still the killed. You managed to kill the assassin when you were sixteen, but you still trained. I got you an apartment on the Citadel, along with a few other things. Good luck buddy! Oh and the current year is 2178, so make of that what you will.'

I crumpled the note up, breathing a sigh of relief. This was… good. At least I won't have to forge an identity, cause that's a bit too troublesome. I finally decided to check out the apartment. It was… expensive looking. Way too expensive looking for my tastes. Okay, let's see what Orion gave me.

I moved towards the dresser… I think, and opened it up. Oh thank god he gave me 21st century stuff. Looking down, I realized I was still wearing the gear I had on before. Yep, balaclava, bulletproof vest etc. Hell, I still had my... gun. What the fuck? My pistol was... different. It seemed more... futuristic. The gun itself was bigger, the slide and everything else gained a silver tint, and it had a weird glowing line down the side of the slide. I'll figure this out later. Right now I should focus on getting out of this gear.

* * *

Well after a bit of deciding, I was now sporting a black 'old school' leather jacket, along with blue jeans and a black t-shirt, with my... I don't even know what to call this gun... oh fuck it, my hand-cannon strapped to my leg. Huh, not bad. I mean the gun might draw attention, but I have the proper papers… I think. Shit. Well, one thing at a time Ethan.

Okay, now that I have clothes, I need an omni tool. Let's see, oh a closet. Why the hell didn't I check this thing before? Opening it I saw… holy shit. So, good news I have an omni tool. And guns. Armor too. The very first thing I did was put the omni tool on. Oh boy I had to get used to this, didn't I? Ah well, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

I pulled out the armor case, giddy with anticipation. Hopefully this armor was good. Opening the case, I saw… I actually don't know what I saw. Was that a… hood? ...Wait a minute.

Upon further inspection, I noticed that the material was black, and it was oddly soft. I took the hood out. It was literally a hood. Well that's a let down. I figured I'd try it on. I put the hood on, and it… fit perfectly. Huh, weird. Underneath the hood was the actual armor. It was black, and extremely light.

Another flash went off, and with it another note floated down. 'So I forgot to mention, the armor you're looking at is… Prototype Alliance Spec Ops Armor… so don't get caught using it. Don't worry, it's easy to put on. Also I gave your pistol a much needed upgrade, and the guns in the closet... you'll see. Good luck. With hopes you'll make it, Orion.'

Oh you have got to be kidding me! The note disappeared, and I was left gaping like a fish. You know what, fuck it. I'm trying on the armor.

* * *

Holy shit! This thing is badass! There were four orange dots where my eyes would be, the armor itself had glowing points all over, and Christ this thing looked menacing. The gauntlets were armored, almost blade like, the suit itself was light yet still looked like it could take a beating. Now for the finishing touches. I put the hood on, and boom. It was complete. Then I realized something. I was about… five years early. Mass Effect didn't take place until 2183. What the fuck was I going to do for five years?

I looked out towards the Citadel. Ah hell, whatever I ended up doing, might as well make a difference. Oh the possibilities are endless.

 _AN: So yeah, Ethan got a bit lucky, but luck doesn't last forever. The armor is something I found while searching the web, and is the new cover image for the story. Let's see what Ethan can start in the next chapter shall we? Until next time, Read, Review and Enjoy!_


	4. Exploration and Jobs

Chapter 4: Exploration and Jobs

 _AN: So, Ethan's on the Citadel thankfully. Now we come to him trying to adjust to the future. Enjoy!_

Well after checking out the armor, I decided to try and look at my omni tool. Let's see… I clenched my fist. Oh nice it worked! I started to scroll through the options. Wait what's this lightning thing? I pressed it.

OWDAMNITSONOFBITCHMOTHERFUCKINGSHIT! Boy that was a mistake. I was currently on the floor twitching. Huh. Seems that was actually Overload.

I got up with a groan. Shit why the hell did I push that button? Whatever. I checked out some of the other functions, making sure to aim the omni tool away from me. Let's see… ohh my details. Date of Birth? Check. Credentials? Check. Hey sweet! I have a firearms permit! That makes things easier.

Well then after reading all that and making sure I got used to the omni tool, I strapped my gun to my shoulder and made my way out the door. Hey this is a nice place. I made my way to the elevator. Please dear god and whatever other deity out there, make this thing go fast.

Sadly my prayer went unanswered. I did manage to meet some people however, like a few asari and turians. I walked out of the building, and out into the Citadel.

* * *

Hey, this place wasn't that bad. I was just walking through, taking in the sights. Wait a minute… I just realized something. I was in the… 22nd Century. I had 21st Century stuff on me. Holy shit this could sell some of this stuff for money. Let's see, where is the nearest pawn shop?

Well, here we are. I walked in, and saw a salarian behind the counter. "Welcome! Is there anything I can interest you in?" He asked as soon as he saw me. I looked around at the many things he had. There seemed to be avlot of stuff, but I came to sell.

I pulled out couple of hundred dollar bills, along with my now empty smartphone. "What can I get for these?" I asked hopefully. I could see clerks eyes light up. Bingo. "20,000 credits. That's the best I can do." He said.

Oh hell no. I looked this up earlier. What I showed him could get me a half million easy. We bargained for a bit, eventually leading to me walking out with 300,000 credits and a rather curious thing I saw. It was apparently worth about 100,000 credits so it had to be something.

With some money on hand, and more in the bank thankfully, I decided to look for a restaurant, because I realized that I was hungry. After getting a bite to eat, along with a bit more exploring, I came across something surprising.

Right now I was staring down an alleyway at a batarian aiming a gun at a couple of asari, a mother and daughter specifically. Oh fuck no. Pulling my hood on (which I brought with me for some reason) I crept down the alleyway, making no sound.

"I said give me your money now!" The batarian shouted at the adult asari. That's when I made my move. I shot forward, disarming the batarian, and pushing him against the wall. "If I ever see you hurting someone else, you'll regret it." I growled out, before pushing him away from me, and out of the alley. What? I'm not going to traumatize a child by killing someone in front of her.

I turned towards the two asari. "Are you alright?" I asked softly. When the two of them nodded, I left. Then something occurred to me. I have skills, guns and armor. Stuff that I could use.

Hell, in this universe, that could lead to a few things: Mercenary? Nope. Soldier? Too much red tape. Cop? Read the previous answer. I could however… Oh this was going to be too good. I grinned as I made my way back home. Let's see how much being an assassin or bounty hunter would pay here.

* * *

So after getting armored up, I made my way to the one person I know who would have what I need: Barla Von. One of The Shadow Broker's agents in the Citadel. I walked into Barla Von's office, and there in the middle was the man himself. "One of the Earth-Clan? What can I do for you?" Barla Von said in a raspy voice. I activated a voice modulator in my suit. If I was dealing with The Shadow Broker, he wasn't going to figure out who I am. **"I hear you're in the business of information. I was wondering if there was any bounty contracts that were open at the moment."** I said. Barla Von studied me for a moment.

"Curious... Do you have anything of value if I can provide?" He asked. Ha, smart man. I pulled out a case I brought with me. **"Will 15,000 credits work?"** I asked, trying to mask the hope I had. Barla Von nodded. Oh thank god. "That would be perfect. One moment please." He replied. Barla Von opened up his terminal, and began scanning the pages. "It seems that there is a bounty on one Alex Murdoch. One of your species. He's hiding somewhere here, and of course if you find him the payment is yours. Good luck Earth-Clan." He said, sending a location to my onmi tool, before sending me off. Under my helmet I grinned. This was going to be fun.

 _AN: So, yeah. I needed Ethan to do something, he can't save the galaxy if he can't make a name for himself. Besides, who doesn't like a bounty hunter? It might work... probably. Until next time, Read, Review, and Enjoy!_


	5. The Hunt and The Complication

Chapter 5: The Hunt and The Complication

 _AN: Welcome once again! Now, the last time we left off, our protagonist was preparing to start a rather... interesting career. Let's see what happens. Also a quick warning: there are mentions of rape and attempted rape. Just a heads up._

So, after checking my omni tool, I discovered that my target was somewhere in the Zakera Ward, which I was currently in. The only problem was he was thousand feet away, and I didn't feel like walking. Joy. Thankfully I had the rapid transit system to get me closer to him. As soon as I landed, I noticed something off. I was supposed to be in a residential district, but there was no one there. Weird. Well, let's see what I can find. I made sure my gun was ready for anything.

* * *

It was weird, I was in a fucking ghost town. Let's see what exactly this guy was worth and why. I pulled up my omni tool. Let's see, Alex Murdoch. Human male, looked to be about 30 years old. He was pretty easy to find, mainly due to the large fucking tattoo on his face. He was a multiple offender, wanted for... Assault. First degree murder on multiple counts. Rape. Wanted alive, at 40,000 credits. Oh this was going to be tough to keep myself from shooting him. Whatever. Contract never said anything about injured.

So based on the Shadow Broker's information, which was almost always right, he was going to be at some apartment he and a gang took over. That apartment was... huh right here. I blinked as I realized that thanks to my musing, I basically walked right in front of the apartment.

I could see two guys outside the entrance, both looking like your typical gang members. Well as typical as this universe anyways. Hmm they're not heavily armored. Hell, the two of them barely have pistols. Fuck it. Let's see if I could hear anything from them. I crept behind a wall near them.

"So what's the boss got planned? I mean, have you heard the bounty he's got on his head right now? Hunters could be here any second." One of them said. Good, he's here. I was about to pull out my gun when the other guy groaned.

"Don't even remind me. This is going to hell. Unfortunately we have to wait and see what our 'fearless leader' has planned. At least he's ready. The guy's got enough guns to run a small army." Grunt 2 said. Well, this is going to be fun. I pulled out my... what the hell do I call this gun? Fuck it, for now Super Colt works. I pulled out the Super Colt, as well as my knife. Show time. I moved away from the wall, and into one of the guys point of view. He saw me and raised his gun.

I threw my knife, striking him in the throat. As he collapsed, the other guy turned to me. Big mistake on his part. Before he could react, I charged toward him, hitting him across the face with my gun. He fell down hard. As he tried to get up, I grabbed him by the scruff of his jacket. Time to get more information.

 **"Okay asshole, I want answers and I want them now. How many people are in here? Where's Murdoch?"** I asked, nodding to the building behind us. He spat in my face. "Fuck you. I ain't telling you shit." He sneered at me. Tough guy huh? That's cool. I noticed a rag at our feet. I headbutted the grunt, before dropping him. He fell back, groaning. I scooped up the rag, making it into a ball and shoving it into the guys mouth.

 **"Well since you aren't going to talk, why don't we try something else?"** I asked. Then I stomped on his knee, breaking in. He screamed, but the ball muffled it. I knelt in front of him. **"The next time you give me an answer I don't like, I'm ripping that off. Don't even think about calling for help. Now, are you going to tell me anything?"** I said, pointing to the broken knee. He nodded swiftly.

I pulled the rag out. "Okay... okay. There's about... 14 of us, Murdoch included. Murdoch's on the second floor, in 5B. Murdoch hired all of us. Please don't kill me." He blubbered out. I stared at him. **"Anything else?"** I asked. He hesitated, but then he spoke. "There's this girl... Murdoch has her. He was planning to... well..." The grunt stopped short. He didn't need to finish that sentence. "She's in her own room. 8B. That's all man, I swear." He said. I patted him on the shoulder.

 **"Thanks for your cooperation."** I said. There was a little hope in his eyes. "So does that mean your letting me go?" He asked hopefully. I chuckled. **"Nope.** **I don't let murderers go.** **"** I responded, before snapping his neck. His body feel limply to the ground. I sighed. Now there was a hostage involved. Great. Okay, got to take this slow. But first, looting the two corpses in front of me. Okay let's see here... crappy pistols, some credits, two omni tools. That's about it. I scrapped the two pistols, and pocketed the omni tools and credits. Time to be a big damn hero.

* * *

I silently moved into the building, taking out the one guard in front. Wait, what exactly can my pistol do again? I mean it still fired pretty well, but other than that I didn't know. I quickly inspected it. I could see a dial on my gun, with different words surrounding it. Let's see...'Stealth', 'Assault', 'Recon'? I moved the dial towards stealth. Instantly my gun... changed. The barrel became sleeker, the gun itself shrank a bit, and finally instead of the silver tint it had, it turned white. It looked really familiar... wait a damn minute. I was holding in my hands an exact replica of Whispered Truth from Halo. Oh shit! Awesome!

Oh I was ready now. I quickly moved through the complex, taking down grunts wherever I went. Thanks to the Truth's built in suppressor, I was free to move in. I went from room to room silently. There was six rooms, each occupied. I quickly put a bullet into anyone I came across. Eventually I made it to the main staircase, where I saw two guys standing guard. I quickly shot both in the head. That's when I heard people coming down. I waited behind the staircase, listening in. There was two guys coming down.

"Why the hell aren't the guys answering? The boss is getting pissed." One guy muttered. I could here the other one huff.

"Man I don't even care at this point. At least we have something to do." The second guy replied.

As soon as they reached the base of the stairs, I could see the two of them looking at my carnage. "Oh shit." One of them gasped out. That's when I struck. I moved behind the two of them, ramming my knife into the neck of one, and snapping the neck of the other. The two of them dropped, and quickly searched them. These two had slightly better gear, each was equipped with a shotgun. Hmm, one seemed to be in decent shape, the other not so much. I scrapped the crappy one, and put the good one on my back.

I was about to leave when I noticed that one of the guys was wearing an earpiece. I grabbed it, deciding to listen in. I paled at what I heard.

"Don, I'm heading over to 8B. I'm tired of waiting for the boss. The bastards decided to get high and now he's unconscious. That bitch is going to be in for one hell of a surprise." I heard a gruff voice chuckle. Oh fuck no. Not on my watch. I quickly made my way up the stairs. I moved like a machine, killing the two guys guarding 5B. That's when I heard a scream coming from 8B. I charged over, kicking the door down. What I saw made my vision go red. There was a girl on the floor, she looked to be about 17 at the most. Her clothes were torn, and this massive guy was above her sneering.

Before he could react, I pushed him away from the girl. He tried to throw a right hook, but I blocked it, grabbing his arm. I twisted it, snapping it like a twig. He howled in pain, but he quickly shut up, as I had punched him in the neck. He fell to his knees, clutching his neck with his unbroken arm. I aimed Truth at him and fired, striking him in the head. Now that he was finished, I turned to the girl.

 **"Are you hurt?"** I quickly asked her, inspecting her. She looked... familiar for some reason. The girl shook her head. "I'm... I'm fine. What's going to happen now? My parents are..." She hesitated. I sighed, before turning off the voice modulator. "I honestly don't know. What's your name?" I asked her. She hesitated, but finally answered. "I'm Etta. Etta Morgan." She said. I paused. There was no way. I had to make sure. "What about your parents?" I asked, dreading the answer.

She hesitated, then spoke. "Their names were... Silas and Rose Morgan." She answered. Yep. I just found my doppelganger. My younger, genderbent doppelganger. Someone must really hate me upstairs. I sighed. "Well come on Etta, I'll take you to C-Sec. Let's see what we can do. One sec, I have to grab something." I told her. This was going to be lonnng day, I just fucking know it.

 _AN: So... yeah. I needed to give Ethan some kind of motivation to put these guys down, what better than a hostage? Oh and for clarification about the gun: Whispered Truth is a unique, silenced burst fire pistol in Halo 5 Guardians. I figured I should put that out there. Until next time, Read, Review and Enjoy!_


	6. The Next Step

Chapter 6: The Next Step

 _AN: So, welcome back my faithful readers. No long exposition here, so enjoy the story!_

Etta followed me out of 8B, and we made our way towards 5B. I saw the bodies I left. You know... it wouldn't hurt to see what they have on them. As I starting to loot them, Etta stared at the carnage.

"You did all this?" She asked awestruck. I nodded.

"I heard they had someone captive, so I didn't take any chances." I answered, sifting through one dead guys pockets. So... I got about 5000 credits, and scrapped some crappy guns. "Come on, I have to pick some trash up." I told Etta, moving to 5B. I opened the door, and lo and behold there was the asshole I was looking for. "Wait here for a minute okay?" I told Etta. She nodded, and I went in.

I walked into 5B. What a pathetic sight. My target was splayed on a bed surrounded by syringes and other stuff... Aw shit he's not dead is he? I quickly moved towards him and checked his pulse. Oh thank god he's got a pulse. I don't care about him, but I want this money dammit! That's when something occurred to me. How the hell is there a double of me if _I_ exist here? Orion better have an explanation for this.

That's when I saw a flash above me. Speak of the devil... well guardian angel. I looked up, expecting a note. Instead I got something solid hitting my face. What the fuck? I looked down at what hit me. It was... some kind of disc. Weird. I picked it up, and the disc flashed to life. I could see Orion's image. Huh, some kind of hologram? Neat.

"So... hey there bud. I... kinda... sorta messed up when I sent you away." He chuckled nervously. "Something happened when you left, and I didn't notice it until it was too late. That girl in the hall behind you... is this world's version of you. You on the other hand... lets see here." He continued, looking at some papers in front of him. He murmured for a bit, trying to find something. "Ah here we go! Your parents are now Charles and Rachel Morgan. I guess you could consider Etta your cousin." He said laughing. Then his face dropped. "I don't know what happened. I swear. Look... just... I'm sure you can take Etta in for now right? Just until you clear things up. I'll see you later. Oh, you should probably change out of that armor. You know, illegal to own right?" Orion told me. Then his image shimmered away, with the disk sparking before disappearing.

Well... that clears up some stuff. I collapsed the helmet, and did the same with the armor. Oh did I forget to mention it could do that? This armor is fucking awesome man. Yeah, now it's this nifty little thing on the small of my back. The gauntlets stayed on however, so all I had to do was press a button on the left one to activate the armor. Thankfully I was wearing clothes underneath the armor, so I still had my modesty. What was I doing in here again? Oh right. I moved towards Murdoch, and slapped some cuffs on him. I then picked him up, tossing him over my shoulder. Time to get the hell out of here. Hopefully Etta takes the news of me being her cousin well.

* * *

Well she certainly took it better than I expected. Right now me and Etta were at C-Sec, and I was sporting a black eye, courtesy of Etta. Basically to make a long story short, when I walked out of 5B Etta was a bit freaked out. Then once she heard my voice, she punched me. After that, I took Me, Etta, and my bounty to C-Sec. I had him processed, I got paid, and now we were waiting.

"So you're my cousin?" Etta asked quietly, breaking the silence.

"Yep. Hell, I didn't know until you told me your parents names. What happened to them?" I asked, leaning against the wall. I needed to know.

Etta started tearing up. "We were staying at the apartment for a while. Dad had just gotten a job close by. One day, everyone else just moved out. We didn't know why, until Murdoch," She spat out the name like it was poison, "Told dad to leave or else. He wouldn't budge, so Murdoch..." Etta started to sob. I immediately took a seat next to her, pulling her into a hug.

"You don't have to say anything else. Just let it all out." I told her. She did. For the next ten minutes Etta sobbed on my shoulder. I just let her. She needed this. If she didn't know, she would have broken down later. After she was done, she pulled away.

"What now?" Etta asked in a quiet voice. That's a good question.

"Now? How about you stay with me? It's the least I can do." I told her. She looked so shocked that I suggested that. I raised an eyebrow. "Don't look so surprised. I knew Uncle Silas. It's the least I can do. At least until you get up off your feet." I continued. Before Etta could answer, the door opened. I turned to see who it was. Ah shit. Garrus Vakarian just walked into the room. Oh joy. Well it's not like I had anything to hide. Probably. Yeah I don't. Wait, is looting a crime? Whatever, not like they have any proof.

"Mr. Morgan? I'm Detective Vakarian. You're the one that brought in Murdoch?" He asked, gazing at a data pad. He chuckled. "What the hell did you do to him? The bastard nearly OD'd." He asked looking right at me.

I shrugged. "That's how he was when I got there. I just delivered him. What happened to him before is none of my concern." I answered. Was it cold? Maybe. I really didn't care. "What is my concern is what happens to Etta." I told Garrus, nodding to her. He looked at me. " Fair point. So by the looks of things, you actually don't have to worry about a thing. Says here that your Ms. Morgan's last living relative. Custody falls to you immediately, that is if you want it to." He said, looking at me.

I looked over at Etta. "What do you say kid? You up for it?" I asked. She nodded rapidly. I ruffled her hair a bit, much to her annoyance. "Then that settles it. I'll take custody of Etta. Do I have to sign anything?" I asked expectantly.

Garrus nodded. "Just some forms for now. Here." He said, passing me some data pads. I signed them immediately. "So... I take it we're free to go?" I asked hopefully. "Of course. If we have any questions, we'll call you. Good luck Mr. Morgan." Garrus told me, before leaving the room. I turned to Etta. "Come on kid, let's go home." I said, pulling her into a one armed hug and leading her out of C-Sec.

 _AN: So yeah... Someone messed up in the reincarnation department huh? Next time we see how Ethan and Etta get used to living together. Hell we might even see a main character or two appear. Until next time, read, review, and enjoy!_


	7. Settling In and Surprise Encounters

Chapter 7: Settling In and Surprise Encounters

 _AN: So... sorry for the wait there people. I've been constantly rewriting this chapter and the results are... eh? Be honest here folks. Also thanks to all you awesome people out there for following! Anyways, enjoy!_

It's been two weeks since I took Etta under my care. Man it's been a long two weeks. The first thing I did was move into a larger apartment. The main reason? I wanted Etta to have her own room. Girl needs her privacy you know?

Anyways, we had just finished moving in. While the last apartment was expensive looking, this one was thankfully far more humble looking in my opinion. It was a simple two bedroom place, and thankfully had enough space for both of us.

Right now I was in the kitchen munching on some ramen when Etta walked over. Well about time she approached me. Hell most of our interactions were basically started by me, and I was hoping to change that.

"Um… Ethan?" She asked timidly. Yeah for some reason she was rather… shy when it came to me. Still trying to figure out why. Hope she's not scared of me or anything.

"What's up?" I asked, taking a sip from my drink.

Etta took a deep breath, as if trying to gather her thoughts. "I need new clothes." She finally said.

Well that wasn't what I expected. I wonder why she was so worked up over that. "Okay sure." I said shrugging.

Etta blinked in surprise. "Really? I was expecting you to get all stingy with the money." She said.

"Uhh… hello? Remember? I got a rather decent amount of credits when I brought in Murdoch in. Come on, lets go." I said, finishing my drink and grabbing my jacket. Etta beamed happily, following me as we left the apartment.

* * *

I was sitting outside some store Etta had dragged me to, waiting as she searched for new clothes. Thankfully she didn't drag me inside, I just gave her credits and told her to go nuts. To kill time and to give myself a headstart, I decided to look into Commander Shepard. What I found was promising.

Commander Jane R. Shepard. Born to a military family, and was raised on Mindoir by her father until the Batarians attacked. Surprisingly her mother survived, and gave Shepard the drive she needed to join the Alliance. Her most impressive feat to date is defending Elysium from a pirate invasion. Shepard is also famous for her good nature and natural charisma.

Well… that's actually pretty good. On the bright side it sounds like the galaxy's in good hands. I'm tempted to just stay out of this but where's the fun in that?

I was tempted to search for the others but I'm not stupid. I'm positive that if I searched for say… Miranda Lawson, Cerberus would be breathing down my neck in no time, and I do not want to be part of a terrorist group thank you very much.

I was dragged out of my musings by Etta, who walked out of the store with about four bags, as well as a new outfit. She flashed a grin at me. "Hey Ethan, what do you think?" She asked, gesturing to the outfit.

"Not bad. Come on, you must be hungry. Let's get something to eat." I said, checking my watch. Yep, noon. "You like steak?" I asked, knowing the answer already. Etta nodded rapidly. I chuckled, shaking my head. After walking for a bit, we finally arrived at a nice restaurant I had found.

Thankfully the service was fast, so in no time at all we were munching on some damn good ribeye. Thankfully we managed to get some conversations going. After a while we finished eating and we left the restaurant. Of course the subject of schooling came up.

"What do you mean I still have to go to school?" Etta whined as we walked home. I shook my head. Jesus Christ.

"Etta you are sixteen years old. Last time I checked, that means you still have two years of high school to go through." I calmly explained. Etta had been at this for the past half hour, and by god this was getting old.

Etta huffed, crossing her arms. "Still think it's stupid." She muttered. Ah well, can't win them all. At least today was calm enough.

* * *

I spoke way too soon. Just as me and Etta were about to head into our apartment, I saw two guys coming up behind us and two guys in front of us. I heard one of them mutter "That's him." to the others. Oh joy. Let's see... all males, all humans. The two behind me looked like they were carrying guns, and the two in front were unarmed. Good, makes this easier. First thing I have to do is get Etta out of here.

"Etta, get inside right now. Lock the door, and go to your room. Stay there until I get you, got it?" I told her quickly. She nodded and went inside.

I waited for one of the groups to approach me. The two in front finally had the guts to.

"Hey there gents! So quick question before we start: does anyone want to leave before we start?" I asked hopefully. No answer. Ah well.

One of the guys charged at me, and I quickly moved to the side, tripping him as I moved. I heard another come up behind me, and I quickly sent an elbow into that one's gut.

I heard him groan out in pain, and upon hearing the sound of unfolding weapons, turned around and grabbed him, using the poor bastard as a human shield.

I felt the shots impact the guy. Sucks to be him right now. I reached inside my jacket, only to realize that my gun was still inside. Shit.

Ah well, time to do this the old fashioned way. I pulled out my knife and charged, human shield in hand. Thankfully the guys body held out, because I got to the other guys in no time flat.

Tossing the hole riddled corpse aside, I raced towards the two. I ducked under one lazily thrown punch, hamstringing the guy. As he dropped, screaming in agony, I moved again, ramming the knife into the other man's neck.

Well that was easier than I thought. Feel like I'm forgetting something though... That's when I felt someone tear my knife out of my hand, before ramming it into my chest. I turned... oh the guy I tripped. I forgot to kill him. I fell back, gasping for air. I could barely breath... yep, punctured lung. The guy raised his foot, before slamming it down, breaking my right knee. I didn't shout. I wasn't going to give him the pleasure.

He was sneering down at me. "You know, I should thank you. With Murdoch out of the way, you gave me a shot at some power. Now I just have to kill that Morgan bitch and I'm set. Man she's going to be screaming before I'm done with her." He chuckled.

He turned, walking to my apartment. No... I pulled the knife out, trying to crawl forward. I know that's the worst thing to do, but I needed to move faster. He was inside the apartment already. I heard Etta scream. No... COME ON! I kept crawling, and eventually made it to the doorway. I saw Etta on the ground, nursing a bruise on her face. The last guy was standing over her.

Suddenly I saw a blue glow engulf my body. With a burst of strength I stood up. Both of them turned to me. The tell tale glow of biotics engulfed my right hand.

"GET...AWAY...FROM HER!" I roared, pushing my hand forward, sending a wave of biotics screaming forward. The guy screamed, before he was sent flying out of the window behind him. I sighed in relief, before falling back. I... think now's a good time for a nap. Man using that stuff took a lot out of me.

"Ethan!" I heard Etta call out... then nothing.

 _AN: So... this story is called By Blades and Biotics for a reason. Yeah... that second part can be explained next time. So until the next chapter folks, read, review and enjoy!_


	8. Recovery

_AN: Heh, sorry about the wait folks. Lot of stuff has happened over the past few months, personal problems and the like. I've just barely had the time to start up once more. Sorry if this seems sloppy. Hope you guys enjoy!_

* * *

 _You know, dreams can be a blessing and a curse. Right now I was with Mom and Dad. It was one of our rare moments of peace, when the two of them had the time to spend with me._

 _We were just at home. Dad was telling a story, and Mom and I were just trying to hold our laughter in. Dad was always a jokester. It was a nice change of pace from the oh so serious businessman, it really was. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a glint._

 _That's when the shooting started._

* * *

I shot awake, sitting up. Oh man... instant regret there. Someone pushed me down gently.

"Whoa easy there buddy, you gotta take it easy." A voice above me said. My vision was blurry, but I could tell right away who it was.

"...Orion?" I rasped out, my throat feeling extremely dry. He nodded, passing me a glass of water. I chugged it instantly. When I finished it, I looked at my guardian angel. He was wearing a white lab coat, with brown hair this time. Thankfully his eyes weren't glowing, instead they were dark purple. "What... what happened? How long was I out?" I asked.

Orion sighed. "You've been unconscious for a year." He said sadly. I gaped at him, and he started smiling.

"I'm kidding man. Two days." He assured me. Asshole.

Orion shook his head. "As to what happened? You got messed up is what happened. Let's see here..." He muttered, putting on some glasses to inspect a tablet he had. He winced at what he saw. "First there's the blood loss you suffered from ripping the knife out of you... the punctured lung from said knife... shattered kneecap and tibia from blunt force... biotic exhaustion. Man you can really take a hit." He said.

Well... shit. My eyes widened when I realized something. "What about Etta? Where is she?" I asked. Orion held out his hand.

"Easy there Ethan. She's fine. C-Sec showed up after you tossed that guy out the window. She's in the other room, and I have a friend watching her." He told me. Orion sighed. "Unfortunately there were some complications. As it turns out, you took out a major player in the criminal underworld. Talk about luck right?" He chuckled. I glared at him. This wasn't funny. That means that there would be more people after me and Etta.

"Any way to help out there?" I asked hopefully. Orion nodded.

"Don't worry, I have an idea." He said. "Have you considered taking on oh I don't know... a persona of sorts? You know, like a secret identity?" He asked. I blinked. That... could actually work.

"Any suggestions?" I asked. Orion nodded.

"Well, first of all we have to establish 'who' exactly helped you take down Murdoch. Here's what we can do..." He started.

* * *

After a bit of deliberation, we finally came to a reasonable identity. Officially, a person who went by the alias 'Apollo' helped me out, allowing me to take credit for Murdoch's capture. He then decided to come out as the one who took down Murdoch in order to take the heat after it was discovered that I was attacked in retaliation. Yeah, that'll work. It's sketchy, but Orion told me he had a surefire way to make it work.

"Don't worry, I'll figure something out. Right now I think someone wants to see you." Orion said, opening the door. "He's awake." Orion called out. Etta immediately burst into the room.

"Ethan!" She cried out, running over to me. I smiled.

"Hey Etta- whoa wait a min-" I tried to warn her. She didn't hear me however, pulling me into a tight hug. Ow... still a little sore, but I'll take it. That's when I realized that she was crying. Oh boy. I pulled her into the hug more, shushing her. Instantly my demeanor changed. Right now, as much as I hate to say it, jokes won't work. Time to get serious... well as serious as I can get. Which is pushing it... and now I'm rambling... in my head... I'll shut up now.

"It's fine... I swear. Don't worry. Just let it out." I told her. We sat there for at least ten minutes. When she finally stopped crying, she looked at me.

"Better?" I asked. She nodded.

"I... I thought you were..." She didn't have to finish that sentence. I smirked.

"Don't worry kid. It's gonna take a lot more than that to kill me. Besides, in my line of work it's expected." I assured her, ruffling her hair. She quickly socked me in the shoulder. Ow.

"And what exactly is your line of work? Getting the snot beaten out of you?" She asked. Ouch.

"That hurt, right here." I said, smiling and holding a hand to my heart. She giggled. My smile left my face.

"In all seriousness though, what else can I do? You're still in school, and I have to provide for us somehow." I told her. Etta looked down.

"It won't mean anything if you die doing so. Not to mention the fact that if you keep doing this we're going to get into more trouble." She muttered glumly. I ruffled her hair, trying to cheer her up.

"Hey, chin up. I ain't leaving you just yet. Besides, I've got an idea to keep us safe." I said. I quickly explained to her Orion's plan, barring of course the issue of a guardian angel. She looked at me.

"So you're telling me that... in order for us to be safe you have to take up a second identity, one which you'll use to provide for us? Alright." She said, shrugging. I blinked.

"Wow... you're really taking this well." I said slowly. Etta shrugged.

"I'm honestly kinda numb to these kinds of things right now. Check back in a week or so, I'll be freaking out then." She said blandly. Okay, it's official. I'm getting her some help as soon as I'm out of this hospital. Before I could say anything, the door across from us opened up, and Orion peeked inside.

"This a good time?" He asked us. I looked at Etta, who reluctantly moved away from me. I looked up at Orion and nodded. He smiled in relief. "Alright. I've got a detective who wanted to speak with you. I'll bring them in right now. It's best to remember what you talked to your friend about." He said, leaving the room. Detective? Aw hell. Wait friend? Oh right, the plan. I turned to Etta.

"Normally I'd have you stay here, but this seems important. You should probably head back outside with..." I paused when I realized something. "I'm sorry, who exactly was watching you?" I asked her.

"That would be me." I heard a voice say. I turned to see a woman with brown hair and silver highlights, clad in a... business suit? And not any of that space age stuff you see right now, no this was a 21st century get up. Interesting. Etta's face lit up when she appeared.

"And you are...?" I asked slowly, noticing how comfortable Etta seemed around the mystery woman. She smiled.

"Call me Allison. I'm a friend." She said. I was a bit weary at first, but I glanced at her eyes and nearly shot out of my bed. They flashed for a split second, mirroring Orion's the first time I met him. Oh... she was another angel then. I nudged Etta.

"Go on kiddo. I've got this." I told her. Reluctantly, she moved away from me and over to Allison. I gave her a wave. "Thanks for watching her. I'll try and pay you back somehow." I told her. Allison shrugged.

"Just stay alive." She told me. She gestured for Etta to follow. "Come on kid. Let's go get a bite." She told her. As soon as they left, Orion came in, followed by... Garrus again? What are the odds? He turned to Orion.

"Thank you Doctor. I'll take it from here. Would you mind leaving the room?" He asked him. Orion shrugged.

"Let me just make sure my patient is good to go. Can't have him dropping dead on us." He said. Orion moved over to me, scanning me with an omni tool. I could hear him muttering. "Hm... vitals are looking decent. Breathing is good. Nothing that can affect you long term." He turned to Garrus. "He should be fine detective. Ask away." He told him, leaving the room. Garrus turned to me.

"Mr. Morgan. It's certainly a pleasure to see you again. I do wish it was under better circumstances." He drawled out, reading a datapad. I chuckled.

"You and me both detective. So, I think I owe you an explanation." I said. He looked up at me.

"About what exactly? What happened to you was a clear case of self defense." He told me. I nodded.

"Yes, that'st true. It's about what happened before, with Murdoch. I... wasn't alone when I stormed his apartment complex. In fact, I was barely in the area when he was captured." I told him. His gaze sharpened, almost glaring holes into me. I quickly explained. "I knew that my aunt and uncle lived in the area, and I hadn't heard from them in a while. I was going to check up on them when I got a call from my omni tool, from someone who called themselves Apollo. He told me about Murdoch, as well as Etta. Figuring that he didn't need the money for this job, he let me take the credit for it." I told him. Garrus sighed.

"That's... one hell of a story. But how do I know you're telling the truth?" He asked me. Before I could respond, someone else did.

 **"Because it is the truth detective."** A voice called out behind him. Garrus pulled out a pistol, turning around. Staring at the two of us was someone wearing the armor that Orion had given me. So this was his plan? Smart. Gives me plausible deniability, as well as getting that target off of my back. Garrus had his pistol aimed at the mystery man.

"Who the hell are you?" He barked, never lowering the pistol. Mystery guy had his hands raised in the air, non threateningly.

 **"I believe Mr. Morgan here told you that already. My name is Apollo, and I'm the one who took down Murdoch."** He explained calmly, leaning against the wall, looking at the two of us. I decided to speak up.

"Never thought I'd see you again. What changed?" I asked him. Apollo sighed and shook his head.

 **"I fucked up is what happened. Taking down Murdoch opened up more problems. He's one of the under bosses for a gang here on the Citadel. Call themselves Red Sun. Typical morons, pro human, anti alien. Unfortunately they've gained a lot of power over the past few years, enough so that when one of their people get's taken out, it leaves a vacuum. One that needs to be filled."** He told the two of us. Garrus finally lowered his weapon when I 'recognized' Apollo.

"So what happens now?" He asked. Apollo shrugged.

 **"Not much. Just put it out there that I was the one that took down Murdoch. Not Morgan here. He doesn't need that kind of heat right now."** He said, inspecting something on his left gauntlet. Garrus hummed.

"I can do that. Do you want to come down to C-Sec to give a statement?" He asked him. Apollo shook his head.

 **"Bad idea. I'm going after more of Red Sun. Doing that's going to bring the heat down on me, so I'm going to keep my head down afterwards. Mind if I have a word with Morgan here?"** He asked. Garrus looked thoughtful, then nodded.

"Normally something like this would be procedure, but really I wasn't really questioning Mr. Morgan here about anything at the moment. Ah hell, why not? Go on. I've got to be going anyway. If anything happens, you know where to find me." He said, walking out of the room. Apollo waited for a few moments, before waving his omni tool around the room.

"What's that for?" I asked him. He shrugged.

 **"Just making sure that no one's going to listen in. Now that that's out of the way."** He pulled off his hood, along with the helmet to reveal... Orion?! He chuckled. "So, how'd I do pretending to be you?" He asked me. I stared at him for a few seconds, then I lost it. I was laughing for a good minute before I stopped.

"So, this was your plan? It worked perfectly!" I said, finally calming down. Orion nodded, rubbing his head sheepishly.

"Yeah, I try. Figured I'd give you an easy way to explain Apollo if you had proof. What better proof than the man himself?" He said. Heh, honestly that went better than I expected it to go. Only one problem.

"Well, glad to see that worked out. Just a quick question. Why the hell did you just volunteer us to attack Red Sun?" I asked him sharply. Orion shuffled nervously, before letting out a sigh. He looked me dead in the eyes, all the warmth I normally saw behind them now gone.

"Look, just because you took out some grunts doesn't mean you're in the clear. Just by the sheer fact that you're associated with Murdoch's capture means you've got a target on your back. Would you rather take out the problem now, or have to worry about Etta every time you leave your apartment? Because like it or not, this is just the beginning." He told me. Damn it. He's right. I don't regret my actions, but I've got to remember they have consequences.

"Where do we start?" I asked him.

 _AN: And that's where we're leaving off. After some reading and a LOT of scrapped ideas, I figured why not give Ethan something to do before the events of the first game? I mean bounty hunting's fun and all, but it could get dull after a while. I'll try and update more often folks, never fear! Until next time, Read, Review and Enjoy!_


	9. Fighting Back and Making Choices

(Third Person POV)

Four humans, all adorned in red armor, stood at attention on the roof of a warehouse, tensely staring around at their surroundings. A fifth patrolled beneath them. Suddenly one of the guards perked up.

"Did you guys hear something?" He asked. The three other guards looked around, seeing nothing. One of the other men scoffed, lighting a cigarette.

"You're paranoid Dennis." He said, leaning against a railing. Dennis shook his head.

"I'd rather be paranoid than dead Harry. I mean, haven't you been paying attention? Someone's gunning for us, and it's only a matter of time before this place gets hit." He said, only to get another scoff in reply. Dennis muttered something under his breath about 'short sighted idiots', but before he could say anything he heard a gasp. Turning towards the noise, Dennis' face paled behind his helmet when he saw Harry face down in a pool of his own blood. He turned towards the other two guards, who were in a similar state. He reached for his earpiece, only to stop when he felt a gun pressed against his head.

 **"Don't even think about it. Helmet off first, and then hands where I can see them."** A voice growled out. Dennis dropped his rifle, before taking off his helmet and keeping his hands raised above his head. A hand reached out, disarming Dennis of his pistol and grenades. The gun vanished, only to get replaced with knife at his throat. **"What's in this warehouse? Each of the others had something different."** The voice said. Dennis, if possible, got even paler.

"You... you're the one... the one who..." He couldn't even finish his sentence, with how horrified he was at the moment. In the last three weeks, six warehouse had been taken out, all of them with at least a dozen guards. All of the surveillance footage told the same, terrifying thing: It was one man. If this was the guy who was doing it... Dennis flinched when the voice chuckled.

 **"The one who's been taking out the Red Sun's operations? Yeah, I am. Now if you don't mind, you never answered the question."** The voice said, putting the knife closer to Dennis' throat and drawing a bit of blood. Dennis whimpered.

"We have uh... we have guns here! Armor! Stuff... stuff like that! That's all I know, honest!" Dennis said, trying not to raise his voice. The knife left his throat, and Dennis sighed in relief. That relief quickly disappeared when he froze, biotic energy engulfing him. The voice chuckled again.

 **"Relax, it's only a stasis. I did a facial recognition scan on you. Dennis Malcolm. Age 23. Born and raised on Earth, only arriving on the Citadel a few months ago. No known record of violence, to humans or aliens. You seem like a good kid, so I'll give you one chance."** The voice said again, stepping into view. It was a figure cloaked in black armor, with glowing orange highlights mapped around the torso and arms. The main thing that caught Dennis' attention the most was the face. It was a mask, hiding everything save for a pair of orange glowing eyes that glared at Dennis. In it's right hand was a pistol... no more like a handcannon. The figure raised the gun, aiming right in between Dennis' eyes.

 **"When you wake up, I want you to turn around, and walk away. Get the hell off of the Citadel. Head for one of the colonies or something. Just leave. Blink twice if you understand."** The figure told him. Dennis complied, and the last thing he saw was the fist flying towards his face.

* * *

(Ethan's POV)

I dropped the stasis, catching the unlucky kid before he hit the ground. Didn't want him to get brain damage did we? Besides, he did me a solid, figured I should do him one as well. Forming a rope with some omni gel, I wrapping it around the kid, lowering him onto the ground level. Deconstructing the rope, I made my way over to the entrance. My finger twitched, and instantly my HUD lit up.

'Scanning... Scanning... done. Lifeforms detected: 25' The words appeared, and with them images slowly formed. Humans, all of them Red Sun. I really have to thank Orion for the software update for my suit. I mean, besides the new VI helper that came with it, I was also equipped with a wide array of vision modes, a motion tracker and even the previously mentioned HUD. That's not even mentioning the hacking program.

Thanks to it, I was able to do some digging, and I found out some interesting stuff about the organization I was targeting. Originally they were a small branch of the Blue Suns, surprises surprise, but eventually one of the more xenophobic humans got to lead that branch, forcing them to disconnect and become a pro-human organization, one that had been operating for the past few years.

That's when I came in. Turns out they had some sources in C-Sec, sources that warned them of raids and investigations. They figured that no one would ever fight back. They got sloppy, and they started to pay the price for it.

I'd already hit a few warehouses in the past couple of weeks, and it didn't look promising. Whatever these guys were planning, it was big. In one, I found medical supplies, enough to keep a small army in shape. Another, armored vehicles fit for a battlefield. The list went on. This one... weapons. Armor. Stuff I couldn't let reach the streets.

I moved towards the locked door, letting my omni tool do the work. I changed the settings on my gun to stealth, and the familiar weight of Whispered Truth was in my hands. I quickly made sure it was loaded, checking the ammo holder. Now I don't know the exact science, but it turns out that my gun uses small blocks of tungsten as ammo cores, allowing for about a couple hundred shots. The truth of the matter was that my shots were more powerful than anything currently out, so it gave me a boost of sorts.

I waited outside the door, noticing a heat signature walking past. As soon as they were away from the door, I opened it. I knew the door would make a bit of noise, so I aimed for the grunt that I knew was going to be there. As expected, they turned and raised their rifle. Before they could fire I had already let loose a burst, hitting them square in the head. They dropped, but before they landed I caught them, making as little noise as possible. One down.

I moved, making sure to keep my footsteps as quiet as possible. I holstered my gun, bringing out my knife. My HUD flickered. 'Attention: Marking Tactical Options.' It said, pointing out certain points around me. Let's see here... I could go for the weapons crate, unfortunately that option was out in the open which could lead to a one sided firefight, one I was hoping to avoid, so that's out. One of the areas next to me was weak, with enough force it could go down on top of these guys. Hmm... wait, what do we have here?

A power box. Huh, that could work. I moved over, tearing the wires out. Instantly, my eyes tried to adjust as the rooms darkened. I flicked a button on my omni toold, activating my night vision. I could hear the grunts below me freaking out, starting to get disorganized. One stumbled up the stairs, reaching around blindly. I pulled up my gun, firing. I didn't have time to catch him, and he fell with a rather audible thud. Time to get the party started.

I walked over to the previously mentioned weak point, planting a grenade. Running over to where the dead man was and ducking down, I set it off. The resulting explosion sent debris flying. Four dead, seven injured, and two of those were fading fast. I moved down the stairway, noticing the grunts below panicking and firing off in random directions. Heh, morons.

At least three of them went down with friendly fire, so that left ten people left standing. I flicked a switch on Whispered Truth, moving the small dial to 'Assault.' Instantly, the gun changed, turning into something a bit... louder.

This pistol was pale blue, with an intricately designed body. No suppressor, but this gun didn't need it. It was from a place where Darkness was strong, strong enough that a gun like this needed the power to match it. You could say that it was... destiny for me to use this gun, if you'll excuse the wordplay. I raised Trespasser, moving in.

The guy closest to me fell after I shot him, ripping through his helmet with a burst of rounds. As he fell, the others began to move around, blindly searching for cover. I moved, jamming the barrel into the visor of one, pulling the trigger. As his brains splattered against the wall, I tossed his body aside, holstering Trespasser. I primed a grenade, tossing it to my left where some had grouped up. I moved, grabbing one guy and using him as a shield. The grenade, exploded, taking down about three more guys. Finally, some action! You know how long I've been waiting for a good fight? Now... what was the count again? Oh right.

Five guys were left. I noticed the guy in my grip was still kicking, so I slammed him to the ground, snapping his neck. Four more. Those left were stumbling around, the blast of the grenade still affecting them. That's when the emergency lights kicked on, temporarily blinding me. In the time it took for me to turn off my night vision, one of the guys got a couple of shots off. Thankfully they bounced off my shields, so I moved into cover.

Time for the big guns. I brought out an assault rifle I had gotten from another warehouse. A Gorgon VII, something you don't see in the streets often. I peeked out of cover, noticing that the others were starting to get up. I aimed and fired. Grenade must have knocked their shields loose, because that barrage tore right through them. Three fell, dead. Wait, three? Where was the fourth? I got my answer when I felt a gun press against my head, and heard someone chuckle. Well well, someone with brains.

"Well well well, what do we have here? Drop the gun and turn around asshole. Now." A man said. Guess I might as well comply. I dropped the Gorgon, standing up and facing my would be killer. One last Red Sun, decked in more armor than the others. A mark on his shoulder indicated he was a higher rank than the grunts I just killed. At least that's what the information I found said. The man chuckled. "I was wondering if something was gonna happen. Good thing I decided to stay out of the way tonight. Now why don't you take off that helmet? I wanna see your face." He told me, pushing the gun into my face. I almost laughed.

This guy just made two mistakes. First, he didn't kill me when he had the chance. Second? His grip was loose. I moved, tearing the pistol from his hands. I headbutted him, breaking his nose and making him stumbling away. Faster than he could react, I shot out both his knees. He fell to the ground screaming. I stood over him, aiming the gun at his head. Guess it wouldn't hurt to find out some more about this stuff.

 **"I would tell you the number of mistakes you made right now, but you probably won't be alive long enough to fix them. Instead, I just want to ask you a few questions. First, what's all this equipment for? The guns, the vehicles, the medical supplies? What exactly have you got planned?"** I asked him. He remained silent, only whimpering slightly. I tilted my head. **"Really? Okay."** I said, aiming at one of his elbows, firing. He started screaming again, clutching the place I just shot. I leaned down, towering over him.

 **"I can make it a lot worse for you if you don't start talking. While I respect loyalty, I don't respect the Red Suns. Now tell me what I want to know."** I growled, letting a bit of biotic energy swirl around me for dramatic effect. That's what made him crack.

"Okay! Okay! Look I... I don't know much! But I know enough! Whatever it is, it's happening in the next few months!" He told me. Jesus. What a waste of time.

 **"If you honestly don't know anything else..."** I said, aiming at his head and squeezing the trigger slowly. He raised his uninjured arm.

"WAIT! WAIT!" He yelled. I paused, letting him speak. "Velocity! We're working with the velocity dealers! They can tell you more! Please don't kill me!" He cried, trying to move away from me.

Hm. Velocity. Something the games or books never mentioned. It was a drug, something that could speed up a person's perception and reaction time. While it wasn't as popular as Red Sand, it still had a large following. Unfortunately I've seen what happens to those who overdose on it. Let's just say it isn't pretty.

 **"And where exactly can I find them?"** I asked, stepping on one of his knees. He screamed again.

"The... the Lower Wards! They hide in the back alleys there all the time." He gasped out. I stepped away from him, giving him a chance to catch his breath. Hmm... they'll be more useful than this moron. Considering the fact that I've been getting jack shit from the Red Suns, a new face might help out some.

 **"Thank you."** I told him. He looked visibly relived.

"So... so you're letting me go then?" He asked me. I guess now would be a good time to tell him that I searched him up. Jack Miller. Wanted for multiple counts of murder, all of them on surprise surprise, nonhumans.

 **"Nope."** I told him, raising my gun and shooting him in the head. As he slumped back, I glanced around me. Looks like some stuff survived the fight. Picking through it, I took a few assault rifles and shotguns, tossing them into a duffel bag. With that out of the way, I set some charges up. Can't just leave this stuff behind, now can I? Exiting the warehouse, I noticed that the Malcolm kid was still unconscious. Shit. Can't leave him in the blast radius.

Picking him up and tossing him over my shoulder, I walked away from the warehouse. After getting some distance between us, I pressed a button on my omni tool, lighting the warehouse up. Now that that's over with... I put the kid down, walking away. I entered a skycar I had... acquired, and set some coordinates. I closed my eyes, the adrenaline finally wearing off. Time to head home.

* * *

(Some time later)

The skycar shuddered, jousting my awake. I flicked a switch on my armor, letting it collapse. Tossing on my jacket, I exited the skycar. Home sweet home. After the apartment we lived in was attacked, it was agreed on that Etta and I had to move, so we found a cheaper, if not more efficient place to stay. It still had two bedrooms and a living room, but it was less spaced out. Not to mention the fact that it was placed in a way where there was only one entrance and one exit.

I entered my apartment, finding Etta watching something on a terminal, munching on a bowl of ramen. She looked up when she saw me.

"Hey Ethan!" She said through a full mouth. I raised an eyebrow at her actions. Mom and dad raised us better than that. She quickly swallowed, glowing red.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Hey kiddo. Shouldn't you be asleep?" I asked her. She shrugged.

"Couldn't sleep. Figured I would stay up." She said, waving me off. That's when I noticed the bags under her eyes. Dammit.

"Nightmares again?" I asked. She didn't say anything, avoiding my gaze. Sighing, I sat down next to her, pushing the bowl next to her aside. "Look at me." I told her. She didn't. "Etta... I can't say I know what exactly you're going through, but I know some of it. Just... please... talk to me." I pleaded with her. Nothing. I wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into a hug. "Alright... alright. Let's just stay like this." I said.

I don't know how much time passed before she spoke up. "Murdoch. I saw Murdoch. Him killing Mom and Dad. That bastard..." She didn't finish that last one. I sighed. It's been weeks since I took care of them, but the scars are still fresh. "How do you do it?" She suddenly asked me.

"Huh? What do you mean?" I asked her. She looked up at me.

"How do you manage? Everyone's gone. We... don't have much left." She told me. My hold on her tightened.

"We have each other. Don't forget that. As for how? ... I'm going to be honest with you. I... did some things I regretted when my parents died. I drank, got into fights, drugs. You name it. I hit a low point in my life I thought I'd never be. But you? You're stronger than me. I know it. Just... talk. Don't let your emotions boil. If they do, you're going to snap." I told her. She looked up at me, tears starting to form. When I was younger, I needed this. Needed someone to rant to, to connect to. Still do. I know that she did as well. I'm almost through to her. Just need one more push. "Whatever happens kid, I'm with you to the end of the line." I said. Yeah, I went there. That's what broke the dam. She burst into tears, clutching my shirt.

Sadly the nightmares were a recurring thing to deal with. While we were laying low, Etta couldn't exactly talk to a shrink about this stuff. That's where I came in. Heh, maybe I should have studied psychology. I make a hell of a therapist. I don't know how long we stayed there, but eventually Etta fell asleep. I gently picked her up, bringing her to bed. After that? I moved out to the balcony of the apartment, smoking a cigarette. Call it an unhealthy habit, but it calms my nerves. A flash of light caught my attention. Well well, Etta's friend. Was wondering when she was going to come and see me again.

"How's she holding up?" Allison asked, gazing to the door behind me. I scoffed, letting out a puff of smoke.

"As well as you'd expect. I was making some decent progress with her before the attack. Progress that quickly went down the drain. I try... I really do. I just don't know what else I can do." I told her. I was close to snapping. Only thing keeping me in check is the fact that I could go out and fight more people. The killing... Call it a... I honestly don't know anymore. Doesn't help that I have a teenager to look out for now. Christ... What do I do?

Allison reached over, patting me on the shoulder. "She's hurting. She needs something to do, or else she's going to snap. Some kind of outlet." She told me. An outlet. What kind of outlet can I give Etta so that she can recover? I mean there's only one thing I can... no. I turned, seeing the smirk Allison was giving me.

"Let me get this out of the way. No, no, no, and to top if all off, hell no!" I told her. I am NOT giving Etta combat training. Allison's smirk disappeared, turning into a glare.

"If you want her to recover, then this is the way to go. That is unless you want her to be afraid of her own shadow for the rest of her life." She told me. I still hesitated, and Allison's heated glare softened a bit. "I know you're scared of training her. But she needs this... and you need this as well." She told me. I nearly scoffed.

"Me? Scared? What would I be scared of?" I asked her. Now the glare had faded, instead Allison was looking at me in pity.

"You're scared she'll end up just like you. A person who loves the thrill of the fight, the rush of blood, a person who doesn't care if they die or not. But she won't. I hate to say it, but Etta's different from you. She's better than you. That's why this needs to be done. She'll get the help she needs, and the training to make sure it never happens again. Just... think about it." She told me. With that final speech, Allison disappeared in a flash of light, leaving me alone on the balcony.

That left me with the question I kept asking myself. Was she right? Looking back... yeah. Everything I did... I never cared about my life. I just needed something to fight. Hell... even when I died I didn't care. I just jumped at the chance to do something. But Etta... Allison's right. She's more... I guess the term human would work here. Maybe this could help her...

Tossing the forgotten cigarette away, I walked back inside. I need a drink.

* * *

Oh my head... what did I do last night? Opening my eyes, I hissed slightly at the light. Right... hangover... I think. Yep... this is gonna hurt. Groggily sitting up, I saw that I was in the living room, surrounded by empty bottles. What time is it? Checking over my omni tool, I saw that it was about ten in the morning. Jesus, only slept about six hours then. Ah well. Much to my body's annoyance, I stood up, stretching. While the floor wasn't exactly the worst place for me to sleep, it still wasn't recommended.

I stumbled over to one of the cabinets, searching for something to relive my headache. I swear I had something in here... ah here we go! Advil... or at least the modern version of it. Popping two of those, I moved over to my fridge, taking out a bottle of water. Downing that, I was able to finally get my bearings straight. Huh... I drank a lot last night. Guess I should clean up.

As I was picking up the mess left from last night, I looked around my apartment. Hm... I could get some stuff set up for Etta. A punching bag in one corner for practice... maybe some weights on another wall... yeah, I got this. Hopefully.

After taking a quick shower, I threw on a shirt and some jeans. Guess I should ask Etta what she thinks of this. I made some eggs, waiting for her to wake up. Finally, she stumbled out of her room, rubbing her eyes.

"Hey kid. Sleep well enough?" I asked her, taking out a couple of plates. She nodded, yawning.

"Yeah, I guess. What's up? You're usually gone by the time I wake up." She told me. I flinched at the question. Damn it... she's not wrong. Anytime I didn't spend killing Red Suns was spent casing out the warehouses they were at. Come to think of it... we only interacted like three times a day. Jesus... was I really neglecting her? Fuck that. As of this moment, that's changing.

"I thought of something last night. Something I wanted to ask you." I told her, taking a sip of some juice I had put out. She nodded.

"Okay. Actually, I had something I wanted to ask you about too. Same time?" She asked me. I shrugged.

"Fine by me. Okay, on three. One... two..." With that, we both spoke.

"Do you want to know how to fight?"

"Can you teach me to fight?"

Wait what? She looked at me, slightly shocked. Then I nodded, smiling. "Well, good news is I can say yes to that question. Just brings up another. Why? Not that I'm complaining mind you, just a bit curious is all." I told her, taking a bit out of my breakfast. Etta went from shocked to determined really quick.

"I was thinking... after I went to my room. Every time I've been in danger, it's you that's been there to help me. While I appreciate it, and I'm sure Mom and Dad would too, I refuse to be a hapless little girl anymore. I'm tired of having people rescue me when I can do it just as well." She told me, slamming a fist on the counter to emphasize her point. Well, credit has to be given where it's due, she has spunk. That's good. She's gonna need it. I nodded.

"Well, the pay sucks, and this'll hurt like hell. Let's get started then." I told her, standing up.

* * *

After that enlightening conversation, Etta and I came up with a few ideas on what to do. I was going to the district next to the one we were staying at the buy some supplies to train with, manly weights and a punching bag. That and to get Etta some sushi. I have no idea why she likes the stuff, but if she wants some she's going to get some. Thankfully we found what we needed, so now we were just taking a small break from things, wandering around.

Walking through the district with Etta, I noticed someone running behind us. Human with a small build, light on their feet. My hands went discreetly to a gun in my pocket. Something less... conspicuous than my main one. A pistol I got from the Red Suns. It'd work. That's when the person ran past us. It was a girl. She turned, and I got a brief look at her. A girl, around Etta's age. She had short brown hair that covered round green eyes. She was dressed in ragged clothes and she was waayyy too thin for my liking. Well shit. She must have been on the streets for a while now. Her eyes widened in horror and she turned once more, taking off.

Then two more people pushed past us. Humans, clad in blood red armor. Shit. Well... ah fuck it. Guess it's time to see some of the other toys Orion came up with.

I turned to Etta, who had a resigned look on her face. That looked quickly turned into a small grin. She patted me on the back.

"Go get em. I'll meet you back at the apartment." Etta told me. With that, I dashed after the trio.

 _AN: Eh... sorry for the wait. I'm just going to be blunt and say that school's been hell. Sporadic updates from here on out... probably. So let's see... what do you guys think of the story so far? Just want some honest opinions here. Until next time, Read, Review and Enjoy!_


	10. New Allies and Unexpected Arrivals

One of the the best things about having Orion update my arsenal was how handy he made my equipment. I can get into it a moment's notice, so it made fighting in public places, as much as I hate to do it, rather easy to do. Ducking into a nearby backalley, I activated my armor and brought up Trespasser.

With that, I continued down the alley. Thankfully it was a shortcut, so I was able to catch up to the trio with relative ease. I mean, it was pretty easy to find them either way, considering the fact that they were tearing up the district in their little chase. The girl was keeping a surprising distance from these guys, weaving through the crowds like they were nothing. The men chasing her were simply shoving people out of the way.

I on the other hand was able to get through said crowds with relative ease, thanks mainly to the fact that I had already established Apollo's reputation in this district. Gotta love the masses sometimes. Granted it got a bit annoying at times to hear the whispers, but what can you do? The girl actually had a decent advantage on the men chasing her, actually managing to lose them for a moment.

That's when she screwed up. She turned into an alleyway that I know was a dead end. Well... that's good and bad. Good in the fact that it'd be easier to fight in a remote area. Bad in the fact that these guys would be focused on just me and the girl. Fuck it, let's do this. I holstered Trespasser, walking forward. The girl was backed up against a wall, clutching a duffel bag. The two guys were armed with knives, advancing slowly.

"Listen up kid, we just wanna talk. Come over here and give us the bag. We ain't gonna hurt you, promise." One told the girl, with what I assumed to be what he thought was a promising tone. Heh. Sure jackass. I slowly walked forward, making sure to muffle my steps. One of the guys stepped forward, leaving the other guy behind him. That was all I needed.

I moved behind the second man, wrapping my arm tightly around his neck. I applied pressure, cutting off his oxygen. He was about to drop his knife when I caught it, making sure to make as little sound as possible. I set the unconscious man down, flipping the knife in my hand. The other man hadn't seen or heard anything thankfully.

The girl on the other hand was a different story. She had her eyes on me as soon as I had appeared behind the group. I held up a finger to my mask, trying to give her a signal. She nodded slightly, enough for me to see but not too much to give away my location. I moved forward, gripping the knife in my hand.

"Hey! I'm talking to you! Give us the bag right now!" He snarled, stepping forward again. Alright, that's it. I sprinted forward, bringing up the knife. The man turned around, coming face to face with me. He brought up his own knife, which I simply swatted aside. My own knife in my hand, I stabbed forward. I was able to get past his defense, shoving the knife into his neck. I pushed him into an adjacent wall, twisting the knife and tearing it out.

The man reached at me, gurgling and choking on his own blood. Finally he fell back, breathing his last. I turned to the girl, who was admittedly pale. I cleaned the knife on the dead man's armor, inspecting it. Huh. It wasn't that bad a blade. I'm keeping this. Sheathing the blade, I looked up at the girl.

 **"Sorry about that. You okay?"** I asked her. She shook her head, as if trying to focus, then nodded. Glancing, I could that she had seen better days. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she was breathing heavily. The grip she had on her bag was shaking, and she was swaying back and forth. That's when I realized that her clothes in particular were torn, with small amounts of blood on her left side. The only thing that wasn't damaged was a small key tied around her neck. Huh. Interesting.

"Wha... who are you?" She quietly asked me. I cocked my head. Huh. Guess she didn't recognize the outfit. Granted, it was a bit different than the last time I was on any recent Citadel news, so I guess that helped.

 **"My name is Apollo. Look, I need to get some facts straight. Why were those men chasing you?"** I asked her, walking over to the unconscious Red Sun I had left. Looking him over, I found a few things on him. Let's see here... pistol. Useless. Credits. Mine. Datapad? Opening it up, I found something very curious. It was a picture of the girl. Underneath it was a little report.

 _This girl has taken something valuable from us. Unfortunately, it appears she along with her family gathered some rather concerning intelligence on us as well. She will likely be carrying it on her. The parents have already been dealt with. The girl is the last link to our operations. After you gain the intel, do what you want with the girl._

 _Humanity First_

Huh. Curious. That's when I noticed a name directly underneath the picture. Mary Devin. I looked up at Mary, who had paled rapidly at the datapad in my hands.

 **"Miss Devin? I understand that you must be scared and extremely confused, but we need to get off the streets. You've become a target of the Red Suns, and you won't be safe out here."** I said, walking over to her. I raised my hands in a non threatening gesture, trying to calm her down. She looked somewhat relieved, but still looked hesitant.

"How the hell do I know that you're not with them? Huh? Convince me of that, and I'll go with you." She snarled. Oho, catty! Good instinct as well! I gestured to the dead body on the left.

 **"If I was with them, why did I knock out one and kill the other?"** I asked her. She still didn't look convinced, so I decided to take a leap of faith. I brought up the pistol I had just gotten and handed it to Mary.

 **"Look... if you don't trust me, then shoot me. Walk, and you can try and survive on your own. That, or you can follow me, and I can get you the help you need. Alright? The choice is yours."** I said, holding out my arms. I knew she wouldn't do it. She, no offense to her, didn't have the heart to pull the trigger.

Mary raised the gun, her arms shaking. Tears started to form in her eyes, and she was breathing heavily. I stood there, waiting. Finally I could see her grip relaxing. I walked forward, gently taking the gun out of her grip.

"Easy. It's alright. Just let go of the gun." I told her softly. Finally she let go of it, letting me hold it. Then she started to drop forward. Shit. I caught her, gently setting her down. Damn it, she was exhausted. Leaning her against the wall, I decided to deal with the unconscious man. No witnesses. If there were, it would be... problematic to say the least. I pulled out the knife, shoving it into the last man's neck, before tearing it out, letting him bleed all over the ground. Now that this little issue was out of the way, I can get Mary out of here. Let's see... I have a safehouse around here somewhere. I should be able to get there with no trouble. Picking her up gently, I started to walk out of the alleyway.

Thankfully, nobody was paying attention to me as I walked through the streets. Finally after about five minutes, I was able to get to the safehouse. Entering it, I set Mary on a thankfully empty table.

Okay... let's see what the damage is. Looking her over, I was able to assess the damage to her. I was right. Malnourished, enough that the bones were visible. The blood came from a wound on her left side. It was bleeding badly. Judging by the amount of blood coming out of her at the moment, and the fact that it had an entry and exit wound meant that it was a gunshot.

Okay... time to patch her up. Reaching for a pouch, I pulled out some medi gel. Applying it, I almost didn't notice the flash of light behind me. But I did. I sighed, grinning at the familiar scent. Vanilla. Only one person I know has that smell.

"Allison. Pleasure to see you again." I said, not turning around yet. "So, I do something wrong? Cause I'm kinda busy at the minute." I told her, checking Mary over once more. She was still malnourished, but with enough nutrients she'll be fine. Allison hummed.

"Who's the girl?" She asked me. Turning, I faced her.

"This is Mary Devin. Let's just say that she's going to be important down the line." I said, handing her the datapad I found. Allison glanced over it, raising an eyebrow.

"Huh. Well... this is interesting. Say... what are you gonna do about her clothes?" She asked me, pointing at the torn and dirty clothes that Mary was wearing. I blanched, realizing my situation. Allison chuckled at my expression. "Don't worry. I've got this." She said, walking over and picking up Mary. Before she walked into the bathroom, she turned and passed me a card. "Got a message for you. From one of the others." She told me. I raised an eyebrow.

"Others?" I asked her, taking the card. Allison simply winked.

"Don't worry, you'll see what I mean." She told me, walking into the bathroom. Okay... glancing down at the card, I scanned it.

It had a shield on it, colored blue and black.

 _Morningstar Investigations_

 _Michael Galloway_

 _Private Detective_

 _Need a hand but don't know who to call? Morningstar Investigation is here for you_

Huh. Interesting. Turning it around, I saw a small message in messy handwriting.

 _Hey there Ethan. Michael here. You don't know me, but I'm an Outsider as well. Long story short, I found out you were in good old Mass Effect, and I figured you would need some reassurance. It'll be hell, but you'll manage. You'll have doubts, but you did the right thing. All I have to say now is that when you inevitably need help, no matter when it happens... I'll be there. Good luck Ethan._

 _Michael Galloway of Remnant (RWBY)_

I stared at the card in my hands. There were... others? Other Outsiders? Holy shit... this is... I don't have the words. Allison stepped back into the room, wiping her hands. She saw my friends and grinned.

"You read the message I'm guessing?" She asked me. I wordlessly nodded, still gazing at the card. Michael Galloway. That's an... interesting name. I held up the card.

"Can you... is there a way for me to see what he looks like? I want to know the man who volunteered to follow me here." I asked her. She smiled and nodded, bringing out a small device. Placing it on the ground, she pressed a button and stepped back. The device beeped before flashing. Then I saw him.

He was tall, with short black hair, slightly tanned skin, and glowing blue eyes. He wore a dark blue dress shirt, along with a black coat, pants, gloves and fedora. On his back he had a massive sword, something like a claymore. I could see two guns holstered to his hips, and in one hand he was twirling a knife. On his face was a massive grin, as if he was seeing something that amused him.

"So... this is Michael." I said, looking at him. Jesus... he was young. Barely out of his teens by the looks of things. Allison nodded, smiling at the image in front of me.

"Yeah... he's the first. The first Outsider in a long... long time. He started it all." She told me, sighing. Okay... there's obviously some history behind them. Best not to ask.

"Huh... that's interesting. Sorry but... we getting off topic here. What happened to Mary?" I asked her, trying to get back on topic. She shook her head, getting her thoughts back in place.

"Yeah, it's fine. She's out cold. I put her on the bed over there." She said, jabbing her thumb behind her. Then a phone rang. Wasn't mine. Five bucks says it was hers. Allison reached into her coat, confirming my suspicions. "Yes?... you want me to what?...Okay." She said, hanging up the call. Allison turned back to me. "I have to go now. Good luck Ethan." She told me, turning around and disappearing with a flash of light. Heh. That never gets old. Now then... time to wait. I need talk to Mary Devin, but for now I can make sure this place is secure.

* * *

(Third Person POV)

 _Some Time Later_

Mary groaned, twisting in the sheets and snuggling into the bed. Then she paused. 'Wait... I don't have a bed right now.' She thought, fear slowly creeping into the corners of her mind. She refused to open her eyes, wary of the sight that might have greeted her.

 **"Good. You're awake."** A familiar voice called out to her. Mary finally opened her eyes.

Sitting on the foot of the bed was the black clad figure from before. The one who rescued her. Apollo. Then she looked down at herself. She was wearing new, clean pajama clothes. She paled, then Apollo chuckled.

 **"Don't worry, I didn't touch you at all. A friend of mine cleaned you up. It's fine, she's trained for situations like this."** He told her. Then he pulled out a familiar bag. "Let's talk about this. I only glanced at it, but there's some heavy looking items in here. Look, to keep it short, we share a common enemy. The Red Suns. If you help me, I can help you." He said, putting the bag on the foot of the bed. Mary cocked her head.

"How... how the hell can I trust you?" She asked. Apollo shrugged.

 **"Considering I was okay with you shooting me? Well... let's just say that the Red Suns hurt a few friends of mine. I'm just making sure that they won't be a problem for anyone anymore. Look, you have something that sounds like it's crucial for the Red Suns, and I have the means to keep you safe. So, do we have an agreement?"** He asked her.

'Well... when he puts it like that...' Mary's thoughts trailed off, coming to the realization that he was right. She nodded. "Sure. I'll help you. And to top it all off, I might as well make myself useful. Where am I going to stay? I'm gonna need time to get all this stuff together." She said, gesturing to the bag. He nodded.

 **"First off, what exactly can you do? Not that I'm doubting you, but I need to know that you'll be able to handle this work."** He said, crossing his arms. Mary shrugged.

"I can crack a terminal in a minute flat, easily. I was studying programming so it should be easy enough." She responded, gesturing to the bag. Apollo nodded once more.

 **"This place is secure enough. I left you a number to call in case anything happens, along with a one use device for emergencies. There's more food and clothes in the other rooms. Are you comfortable with that?"** He asked her, helping Mary stand up. She stumbled a bit, but caught herself. Apollo gestured for her to follow, stepping out of the room they were currently in. Following the armored figure, Mary found herself standing in a decent sized apartment, with enough space to house a person comfortably. Apollo pointed to things out left and right. **"Here's some terminals. Should have enough power to get you started. There's food in the fridge here, should last you a while. First aid kits are set up all over the place. Closet over there has some clothes to change into. Anything else you need?"** Apollo asked her, turning back to face Mary. She was about to speak, but hesitated. Apollo gestured for her to continue. She sighed, composing herself.

"Can you... is there any way you can get back to my home? There's something valuable I left behind. It's hidden behind a small panel. Can you do that?" She asked quietly, her hopes not particularity high. Apollo shrugged.

 **"I suppose. What is it?"** He asked her. Mary was able to give a small smile. 'Finally... something goes right.' She thought, some hope coming back.

"It's a small lockbox. About a foot long. It'd be easy to find." She said. Apollo nodded.

 **"I can do that. Get to work on those files. I'll check out your home. Where is it?"** He asked her, bringing up his omni tool. After getting the proper directions, Apollo walked out the door. Mary sighed, turning to the terminals. 'Time to get to work.' She thought, cracking her knuckles.

* * *

It had been a few hours since she had started, but Mary was barely starting to get tired. The files she had managed to crack had shown some... concerning things involving the Red Suns. The things these people had done... it was idiotic to say the least. She was about to open another file when the door behind her opened. Despite her hesitance, Mary grabbed a gun Apollo had left behind. Turning around quickly, she saw Apollo leaning against the wall.

 **"Oh... good. You... you found the gun."** He said, groaning. In one hand, he was holding the very lockbox Mary had asked for. The other was clutched to his side. Mary darted out of her chair, taking the lockbox out of Apollo's hands. 'He... he found it.' She thought in awe. 'He actually found the box.'

That's when Mary heard it. 'Drip...Drip...Drip' Wiping the small tears away, Mary turned and followed the noise, looking to find Apollo staring at his now red hand.

 **"Huh. That's... that's a lot of blood."** He said, stumbling forward. Catching himself, he tore off the coat he was wearing. Then he pressed something on his omni tool, which caused his armor to collapse. Mary finally could see the man who had helped her.

He was a bit older than her, with pale skin, purple eyes, and short black hair and a matching beard. He wore a torn white shirt and jeans. Of course, Mary's concern wasn't what he looked like. Her main concern was the fact that he had a hole in his chest, with blood pooling out at a rapid pace. Turning around, Mary ran to where the medical kit was, bringing up some medi gel. A thud had caught her attention. Apollo had fallen on his back, hissing.

"Yeah... not... not really my best moment. Just... apply the medi gel. I can do the rest." He said, holding the wound on his chest. Mary complied, smearing the salve as best she could. Apollo raised his free hand, waving to Mary. "I'm Ethan. Figured you should know." He said, his rapid breathes slowing down a bit. He grunted, sitting up.

"Uh... okay... nice to meet you? Also...should you be standing up? You... kinda... just... bled all over the floor." She said. He waved her off, slowly standing up.

"It's fine. Hurts like hell, but I'll manage. So... onto business I suppose." He said, rubbing the wounded area gingerly. "What did you find?" He asked her, still inspecting his wound. Mary raised an eyebrow.

"I should probably ask you that same thing. What the hell happened to you?" She asked Ethan, gesturing to his bloody clothing. He shrugged.

"Let's just say that you had a few uninvited guests in your place. They're... kinda...ehh." He made a so and so gesture. Mary sighed.

"Say I was to turn one of the terminals to a news channel. What are the odds that I'm going to see my old home on fire?" She asked carefully. Ethan snapped his fingers, giving her a grin.

"Next to nothing!" He said brightly. "Say, we barely met and we're already working so well together! That's a record for me." Ethan continued, walking past Mary. "So... what did you find?" He asked her, searching a closet for something. Mary sighed once more, ignoring the little banter and walking over to the terminals.

"The Red Suns are having a sort of purge. They're wiping out all of the Velocity under their employment. Something about loose lips. That... and they've stolen money from someone big. I don't have any names, but I did find this. It looks like their symbol or something. Look familiar?" She asked him, pointing at one screen. Looking back at them was the mystery logo.

It was a orange diamond, covered by a pair of what looked like wings. It meant absolutely nothing to Mary, so she looked to Ethan. He had changed his shirt at this point, tossing the bloodstained one aside. His eyes narrowed as he stepped forward. He had a confused expression on his face, as if he was trying to figure something out.

"That... looks vaguely familiar. Say... is there any kind of meet up point for these guys? Maybe one of them could give me some more info on what's happening here." He said, walking over to a cabinet and getting a bottle of alcohol. He waved it over to her. "You want some?" He asked her, pouring out a glass. Mary nodded gratefully. Another glass came out, along with more alcohol. Passing her the glass, Ethan continued to look at the monitor.

"If you can, find out more about who the Red Suns are stealing money from. I'm going to go get some rest." He told her, downing the drink in his hand and walking off the bed Mary had previously used. Mary sighed, cracking her fingers and getting back to work. At least she wasn't on the streets anymore. Her eyes darted quickly to the lockbox.

"Maybe... I can take a quick break soon." She muttered, her fingers still darting across the keyboard.

* * *

(Ethan's POV)

 _Some Time Later_

I woke up with a small groan. Thankfully my wounds were feeling far less sore than before. I slowly sat up, the events of the day finally catching up to me. Christ, still can't believe I let those idiots get the drop on me. Any other time, I would have gone back to sleep. Unfortunately, my omni tool decided to choose the second I fell back onto the bed to ring. I quickly answered it, not even trying to sit up again.

"Hello?" I called out, trying to not sound like I had just came back from the grave.

"Hey Ethan. You okay? And what about that girl? You never called back, that is after you chased after them." Etta told me. I groaned, whacking my head.

"I knew I forgot to do something." I muttered, deciding to finally sit up. "Sorry kid, I got caught up with some stuff. I'm good. The girl's still alive thankfully. She's got some information on the Red Suns. I had her working on cracking whatever she could get her hands on. She's actually pretty good at all this technical stuff." I said, internally wincing at how I sounded. Etta laughed, confirming my fears.

"You sound like an old man! Oh wait, you are~." She sang out. I chuckled. Joy, age jokes.

"Sure I am. I'm only ten years older than you. Look, I'll call you back. I need to finish some things up. There's credits for takeout in the cabinet, and there's a gun next to it. Alright?" I asked her. Then I silently cursed. She might not be ready for that. Etta hummed.

"I don't know about the gun, but I'll take the credits. Good luck old man." She said, quickly hanging up on me. Cheeky brat. I finally got off the bed, stretching and shaking my head. As I walked to the door, I froze at the sound I heard.

Crying. Not soft, simple sniffles. It was full on sobbing. Opening the door, I could see Mary curled up on the floor, the lockbox I had brought opened up next to her. Pictures, jewelry and other items were strewn around her. One stood out in particular. It had three people bunched up together, all of them hugging. Mary was in the middle, and behind her was an older man and woman. Both of them had curly brown hair, and were smiling brightly at Mary. All of them had were wearing casual clothing, and were clearly standing in the Presidium.

I sighed, knowing that look far on Mary's face far too well. I wanted to say something... but I had no idea what to do. With Etta, it was easier. She was essentially me, and I knew what I wanted when my parents first died. I knew her pain and suffering. But Mary... was a complete stranger. I barely met her a few hours ago, and even then I only know bits and pieces. I can't help her until I know the full story. For now... damn it. I feel like an asshole, but I need to do this.

I stepped back into the room, taking a deep breath. Then I activated my armor, putting on my hood. Sighing, I pulled out my gun and made sure it was loaded. Fuck. Now I'm just trying to buy time. I didn't want to face Mary, not when I know that I'm just going to leave her here. After a few minutes, I slapped my head. Fuck it. I walked out of the room again. Mary was still on the ground, sobbing her eyes out. She flinched when my footsteps echoed in the quiet apartment.

 **"I'm going to check out the address you gave me. You... you can take the rest of the night off. In fact... get some rest. Feel free to have a drink. Just... I'll be back later kid. I'm sorry."** I told her, walking past her and grabbing my discarded coat. Throwing it on, I was about to walk out of the door. Then... I hesitated. I wanted to stay behind, to try and comfort her. I wanted to... do something goddammit! I sighed. It's amazing really... I can kill a person like it's nothing. I've torn men apart with my mind, caused countless destruction in the name of protecting the ones I care about, killed without a second thought... but I can't comfort a suffering girl. Then it hit me.

I can't do it. I've come to terms with it. I'm no shrink. But I know someone who can. Someone who's been there. Etta. The talks I had with Allison came to mind. Etta's a better person than I can ever hope to be. And... Allison was right. Turning back, I walked over to Mary. Kneeling next to her, I helped pick up the things strewn about.

 **"Hey kid... Change of plans. I want you to come with me. I'm dropping you off somewhere safe. I promise."** I told her, closing the lockbox and gently placing it in her hands. Reaching next to her, I brought up a small tissue, wiping her eyes. Sighing, I realized that she wasn't able to walk. I picked her up, calling the skycar with my free hand. It's time to go home.

* * *

I was thankfully able to reach Etta with no problems. No shootings, no chases, nothing. Mary had fallen asleep at this point, so I had to help her out. I walked up to the door, waiting for Etta to open it. She did, at first with a smile on her face.

"Hey E-" She cut herself off, looking at the girl in my arms. Her smile dropped and she immediately stepped aside. I moved, gently setting Mary down in Etta's room. I walked out, finding Etta facing me with her arms crossed. I sighed, pulling down my hood and collapsing my helmet.

"I can explain." I told her, walking over to the cabinet with our alcohol. She raised an eyebrow, but nodded.

"Please do. It would make this a whole lot easier to understand." She shot back, taking a seat by the counter top. I grabbed a bottle of whiskey, pouring a shot. Downing it, I rubbed my face.

"She's... hurting in a way that only you can help her. I think that her parents are..." I refused to say the word, but Etta knew. She cleared her throat and nodded her head. "She needs help. I... don't think that I can be the one to do it. I was only able to comfort you because you're family. But her? She needs someone to relate to. Someone to talk to. Not an old man like me." I said, cracking a smile for the first time all day. Etta chuckled weakly.

"So... you think I can do that?" She asked me, leaning forward. I nodded, putting the whiskey away.

"Yeah... I do. You're a far better person than I can ever hope to be, I know that. Allison knows it. So... you think you can do this?" I asked her, pointing to where Mary was resting. Etta nodded, a fire lighting in her eyes. I recognize that look... same one Mom had. It's almost uncanny. Heh. Me and my reminiscing. "Do what you have to, and try and get her to eat. I'm heading out." I told her, pulling up my hood and helmet. Etta quirked an eyebrow.

"Where're you going this time?" She asked me. I shrugged.

 **"I'm about to gain an edge against the Red Suns. Let's just say I found out that I'm not the only one gunning for them."** I told her, walking out the door. Time to find some Velocity dealers.

* * *

I was able to find the warehouse with no issues. Before her little justifiable breakdown, Mary was able to find what I needed. Stepping out of the skycar, I checked my omni tool. Looks like there was some movement. Good, that meant that there was still some people alive in there. Good enough for me. I moved, cloaking myself and climbing up the side of the building.

At the top, there was a single guard watching over the perimeter. I brought up Whispered Truth, dropping the guard with a single burst. My finger twitched and my HUD lit up.

'Scanning...scanning...done. Lifeforms detected: 10' Images slowly formed, giving me a view of the area below me. Five figures were armed, all of them aiming at five other kneeling figures. Dammit, I'm almost out of time. I moved, sprinting for the door. A flick of my omni tool and it was unlocked like nothing. Alright... quick check of what I have on me. My gun, biotics, and couple of knives. That's gonna have to do.

Besides, I can't take any chances here, not with the witnesses these guys could be. I moved down the stairs far faster than I've ever gone, still making sure to mask my presence. Finally I could see the group. I jumped forward, climbing onto the light fixtures. Weaving through them, I was finally above the group. I equipped Whispered Truth in one hand and brought out a knife in the other. I took a deep breath, a plan forming in my mind. I have to time this just right. Looking down, I could make out a few things. First of all, I was right. All the gunmen had blood red armor, and each one was equipped with a higher caliber pistol.

Okay... by the looks of things, the gunman on the far right looked to be the most unstable. He was twitching, just waiting for a reason to pull the trigger. The one on the far left was speaking into a radio, probably getting confirmation for the kill. The three between them weren't going to be an issue. Finally radio guy was done with his call, and he nodded. That was all I needed. As soon as they raised their guns, I dropped down. Time seemed to slow, and my plan came into action.

As I fell, I activated a stasis field, hitting the unstable one. I landed on radio guy, driving a knife into his neck. Leaving that in there, I raised Whispered Truth, firing off a burst. It hit the guy next to me in the head. As he fell back, I shot forward. The other two didn't have time to react before I grabbed one of them, shoving a warp into the face of another. As the biotics ate through that guy's face, the man in my grasp tried to struggle. I slammed my knee into his face, then with quick twist, I snapped his neck. He fell down limply, not a sound coming out of him. I stalked towards the man in stasis. He was finally calming down, probably coming off of a high or something. I tore the gun out of his grip, tossing it aside.

 **"Calm? Good. Now we're gonna have a talk, but not now."** I told him, rearing my hand back. Dropping the stasis, the man didn't have time to react before my fist came into contact with his face. His helmet shattered and he crumpled to the floor, groaning in pain. I chuckled, shaking my fist. Damn that helmet was tough.

Turning around, I came face to face with the terrified Velocity dealers. How did I know that they were dealers? Well the syringes kinda gave it away honestly. Velocity was one of the only modern day drugs that used a syringe still, so It was a tell tale sign. I stepped forward, tearing the knife I had left behind out of radio guy.

 **"Now then, I have a few questions for you guys, and you're going to answer them. Understood?"** I asked them, flicking the blood off my knife. They all nodded, blubbering and pleading. I held up my free hand, trying to calm them. **"Easy there. I'm not going to kill you. I just need information. Who did the Red Suns steal from, and what are their plans here? I know that they're up to something."** I asked them, examining my knife. The sound of a gun unfolding caught my attention. It wasn't from one of the dealers, so it was behind me. And I knew exactly who it was.

"I believe I can answer the first question. The second one is something that we're trying to figure out as well." An all too familiar voice told me. It was a female, with a smooth Australian accent. Turning my head slightly, my guess was right.

 **"Miranda Lawson. I've been expecting to run into you for sometime now."** I said, not moving at all. Cerberus. Of course that's who they were stealing from. Miranda cocked a delicate eyebrow.

"It looks like we have much to discuss then." She told me, never taking the gun off of my head. This was going to be a long night wasn't it?

 _AN: Hey everyone! Sorry for the wait. So... how did I do with this chapter? Besides the obvious thing with Cerberus coming into play, there's going to be some more surprises down the line. I tried to show that while Ethan is set with his combat skills, there are still some things that still haunt him. He's never going to be good emotionally, so I tried to put that here. How'd I do? Until next time, Read, Review and Enjoy!_


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